Shortly after the debacle with the Sunflower, Heron made his way back to his quarters in the barracks. There was still much to be done that morning and he wanted a good portion of his work tackled before the Javans left Sorella that afternoon. Heron trudged up the hill back into the barracks and went into the small room that he'd made his office.

Except, he wasn't the only one in the office. Inside, he found Elektra and Nikias waiting for him, both watching him with expectant eyes. As soon as he entered the room, Heron stopped in his tracks. Something was up. Or off.

Elektra put on her best smile. "Papa," she greeted him.

Heron looked back and forth between them and then raised an eyebrow. "What are you two up to? I've been around long enough to know that you're about to request something out of the ordinary." The king moved to sit down behind his desk.

His intuition was right on target so far. The two of them looked at each other nervously before trying to put on a brave face to Heron. His gaze drifted back and forth between them both, not knowing which one to settle on.

"Well? Out with it, please," he said with a chuckle.

"You see, the thing is, Your Majesty—" started Nikias before Elektra raised her hand to his arm.

"Let me do it, okay, Nikias?" she said softly. She then turned to her father. "Papa, there's something we were hoping to discuss with you. Something we were hoping to get your permission for before we moved forward with it."

"Permission? What do you need permission for, my child?"

Elektra began to turn red. "Well, you see, there's something that we want to do. Something that needs to happen. Um, something that you want to happen! Yes, and we need your permission in making this thing happen."

Heron chuckled again. "You're starting to lose me."

Elektra looked back to Nikias for help.

"Your Majesty, we're seeking your permission to marry," said Nikias confidently.

Heron leaned forward. "Marry? As in marriage?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, that's right" answered Nikias, sounding less confident the longer that the confusion reigned on Heron's face.

"The two of you? You're sure about this?"

"You're always saying that I need to find a husband, Papa," said Elektra before giving a coy smile to Nikias. "Well, I've found one. One that's a good man and would be a good partner."

"I don't mean to sound pompous, and Nikias will forgive me for saying so, but he's not of our station, Elektra. He's of the common blood. There's no custom for the royal family marrying commoners."

"It's high time that custom was done away with, Papa," said Elektra fiercely. "It's an outdated and foolish custom that serves no purpose. Nikias is the best of men. I care not that he isn't of noble birth because he's noble in his actions. He has my heart and that's all that matters to me."

"How do you feel about this, Nikias?"

Nikias took a deep breath and then smiled. "My thoughts on this subject are very clear. I love her, Your Majesty. I've loved her for a long time. You're right—I may be of common blood, but I would be the husband that she deserves. I would spend the rest of my life showing her that I can be devoted to her and treat her with all the love and respect that I can muster."

Elektra beamed at him while her hand reached out to caress his face. "We're in love, Papa. Deeply and truly. I know of no better man to call husband."

"I don't have any objections to his character," said Heron. "Only the manner of his birth. Do you know what this means, Elektra? One day, I'll be dead and you'll be queen. That means that Nikias will be king alongside you."

"And he'll be the best of kings, Papa. Just like you. And I'll be his queen."

"Are you prepared to be king one day, Nikias? Do you know the demand that is on your body and your spirit to be the king of an entire people?"

"I only make this request because I love your daughter, Your Majesty. If that should make me a king someday, so be it. I will say this—I'll have had the best of instruction in the matter of kingship just by watching you."

Heron smiled. "I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with you there. I've made many mistakes as a king. And it's under my watch that the entire island fell into civil war. I don't think history will be very kind to my reign."

"It will be, Papa," said Elektra. "Because we'll be the ones writing the history books."

Heron locked eyes with his daughter. "You're completely sure about this, dear one? No hesitations?"

Elektra's eyes blazed with confidence. "I couldn't have any more confidence in him, Papa. Nikias is the man I'm supposed to be with."

Heron took a deep breath and then smiled. "Then let custom be damned. All I've ever wanted is to see my children grow up and be happy. And I know we've talked so many times about marriage that I was beginning to think you'd never do it just to spite me."

"It would've been hard to get me to do it to any other man," said Elektra with a giggle. "I just had to find the right one."

"It won't be easy, you know," warned Heron. "A good marriage isn't just found on the elation of love alone. A good marriage is made from equal parts of love, respect, loyalty, and partnership. There will come a time when both of you are old and wrinkled and most people fall out of love because the underlying attraction is no longer present. Make your marriage grounded in partnership. Devote yourselves to each other, to family, and to Sorella. Only then can you have a relationship that'll last the ages."

The two of them looked to each other as smiles appeared on their faces. "I can say with all honesty Papa that I don't think that will ever be a problem. How could it be? This is the best of men," said Elektra fondly.

"And the best of women. She's had my heart since the first time I laid eyes on her," said Nikias.

"Well, that settles it then," said Heron. "We'll have to get to planning a wedding. You have my permission to be betrothed. We'll have to have a celebration to acknowledge this with the people."

"Hopefully, the people will be as accepting of this as you are," said Elektra. "It makes me nervous to think about the reaction among the noble houses about hearing the news."

"You and I both, dear one," said Heron. "However, my word should be enough of a reason to accept this. And Malicoe knows we need something to celebrate here in Sorella."

"I don't think we'll have any issues with the common people, sire," said Nikias. "They'll be eager for a celebration after the ravages of war. Any reason for them to get out in the streets and remember the good days from before the war."

"I have to agree with you, Nikias. A good celebration is exactly what the people of this country needs. I only hope that the noble won't sour it," said Heron. "There were many of them that had their eye on Elektra."

"Then they'll be happy to know that I've found true love," added the princess. "Especially if it was my well-being they were holding first in their hearts."

"I think it was more related to the enhanced standing they'd gain in marrying you," said Heron. "Or the prospect of being king."

"We'll just have to keep an eye on the houses. If we see any one family causing any trouble or being too vocal about the match, we may need to intervene," said Nikias.

Heron waved his hand. "It's of no matter right now. Today is a happy day. Today is the day I get to see my beloved daughter take the first step towards marriage. It's also the day I get to accept a son into our family."

After those words, Heron emerged from behind his desk and wrapped the both of them in a large hug. Elektra broke down as tears of happiness careened down her cheeks. She beamed with a smile as she looked at her father, and for that moment, they enjoyed the tidings of love.

*****

After a short briefing with all the commanding officers that morning, Task Force 21 was ready to set sail. All the provisions had been loaded onto the two ships, including the new Sorellan fire ordnance, and it was high time for them to continue the rest of their journey. There remained only one task left at hand, and for that reason, Jack, Greg, and Abigail made their way to the barracks to say one last goodbye to the king of Sorella.

It was a somber moment for Jack, knowing they were about to leave the island where they'd spent the past month. Sorella had almost started to feel like a home away from home, with people that he enjoyed spending time with. It also gave him a sense of purpose that he was doing the right thing. However, Jack knew it couldn't have gone on forever. Soon they would have to get moving to the next island.

The three of them headed inside the barracks to meet with Heron, who was to be found in his main office on the first floor. As soon as Jack opened the door, he found the king, Elektra, and Nikias embraced together in a hug.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything," said Jack as his hand rested on the knob of the door.

Heron was the first to pull away, beaming with a joyous grin. "Not at all. In fact, you'll be the first to hear the great news."

"What news would that be?"

Heron turned to look at his daughter. "Go on, tell them! Tell them the wonderful news."

Elektra wiped away a tear from her face. "Nikias and I are engaged to be married."

Jack brought his hands together in a loud clap. "That's wonderful! Congratulations to you both!"

"I knew it," said Greg excitedly. "I knew there was something going on between you two!"

Both Elektra and Nikias went red in the face as the three Javans rushed forward to offer their congratulations to the Sorellans. Nikias received several hearty pats on the back as well as handshakes while the women hugged each other with happiness. Even with all that was going on in the world right now, knowing that Elektra and Nikias were able to find love with each other was cause enough in its own for celebration.

"The only thing I regret is that we have to leave so soon," said Jack. "Or else we'd stay for the wedding."

"You might even be back before they are able to wed," said Heron. "The betrothal process for the royal family of Sorella is a long one. There are many traditions that they'll need to fulfill. Perhaps you'll see their wedding day by the next time you come back."

"I couldn't be more excited for you," said Abigail. "My congratulations to the both of you."

Elektra grinned. "We're very happy and thank you!"

"Yes, as will most of Sorella," said Heron. "This will be exactly the celebration that we all need. Although, I echo your thoughts on the matter, Jack. I wish you could be here for the betrothal announcement at the very least."

"As much as we'd love that, it's time that we got going," said Jack. "Especially if merchant shipping is being attacked, I'll want to get on ahead and make sure we meet up with Kat and Vera in Picardy. It's about high time we had our official introduction to these Swabians."

"About that, Jack, I want you to be careful on your way north," said Heron. "The Swabians have a mighty empire with lots of resources at their disposal. While you may have the best of technology in your ships, there's still only the two vessels. If they wanted to, I'm sure they could overwhelm you."

"Hopefully it wouldn't come to that," said Jack. "But if it's a fight they're looking for, then we'll give them one."

"I just want you to be cautious. This is far outside their normal behavior," said Heron. "They're doing things now that they've never done before. An unpredictable enemy is an especially dangerous one. Be on your guard, and most importantly, never trust a Swabian. Their word means nothing to outsiders. You saw how they treated Wally, and he's still part of the Fourth Vector. Imagine what they'd do to you as a foreigner."

"We'll be cautious, Heron. You have my word," said Jack. "But we won't allow ourselves to be threatened. Nor will I let any innocent traders be bullied while on peaceful expeditions."

Heron nodded. "We live in interesting times, my friend. The world is becoming a darker place. For that reason, I urge you to go straight to Picardy and sign an alliance with my friend, King Aedan. We need strength in numbers."

"I will, Heron. And I'll send word as soon as we do. As well as our next step," said Jack. "Whatever happens, you and I won't stand alone against the might of the Swabians."

Heron smiled and offered his hand out to Jack. Jack took it, grasping it firmly. "It's been an honor, Jack Easterbrook. If not for you, I don't think either of us would still be alive today. You've given me my kingdom back, and for that gift, I'll treasure our alliance until my last breath."

"You're a mighty fine man and an incredibly wise king, Heron," said Jack. "These people don't know how lucky they are to have you at the helm of the ship. It's been a great pleasure getting to know you, and I'll look back on my time in Sorella with great fondness."

"Even when we were getting blasted by my brother's artillery?" quipped Heron.

Jack laughed. "Even then. It's been a hell of a ride."

"That it has. Thank you, Jack," said Heron finally.

The rest of the goodbyes played out in the same somber tone. Jack offered his congratulations once more to Elektra and Nikias and his wish for them to have a happy and fruitful marriage. The new couple remained side by side, clinging to each other in happiness at the first display of their love to the world. Around him, they all said their goodbyes, most of them wishing for the day when they could come back to Sorella with news of peace. Even though Jack doubted that time would come soon, it gave them all something to hope for.

For that reason, the three of them left the barracks one last time and made their way back down to the docks where the Destiny idled in the water.

"I'm really going to miss it here," said Greg one last time as their feet stomped across the dock. "It's not home but it very well could have been."

"I know what you mean," said Jack. "They were incredibly welcoming to us. We could only hope for this kind of reception everywhere."

"If I remember correctly, you two had a very welcome reception back in Lishkerra," said Abigail. "I wonder if you both are fathers yet?"

Jack gave her an embarrassed look. "I'd almost forgotten about that."

"How could you forget about that night?" said Greg. "Five women at one time!"

"Yeah, Jack," added Abigail with a coy smile. "How will any sexual encounter ever compare after that?"

He turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

She started to laugh. "More than you know!"

The three of them finally reached the Destiny and boarded the ship, making their way to the bridge. Inside the bridge, the three division head officers waited for the order to launch the ship, with Stephanie at the operations command desk, Kyle at the weapons command desk, and their newcomer, Cory at Anna's old engineering desk. Jack nodded to all three of them, still getting used to seeing Cory's face in the bridge of the mighty cruiser.

Taking his seat at the main command station, Jack took one last look at the Sorellan base around them before he issued his next order. "Cory, get the boilers fired up. It's time for us to hit the open seas."

As Cory issued the orders into his radio, Abigail sat next to him and looked over. Catching her eye, her hand crept into his and squeezed gently. She offered a small smile and a look that suggested more to come in their next moment of privacy.

With a sudden lurch, the large cruiser sprung to life and left its position on the farthest quay. Jack took a deep breath as it approached the long jetty that signaled the entrance to the harbor, only turning briefly to watch the Tiger fall in behind them. Once they were clear of the harbor, the Tiger would sprint in front of them, acting as their eyes and ears for the journey north. As the task force left the harbor and made the turn north, Jack looked out to the horizon. Somewhere out there were the Swabians. Along with Kat and Vera. He just hoped to reunite with them before the Swabians found them.

*****

The first day out from Sorella was a quiet one. It was just before noon the morning after they'd left and the Destiny was cutting through the waves as they made their passage north to Picardy. It was an overcast day, the skies clogged with low-lying, thick clouds, heavy with the bounty of future rains.

Jack sat in his command chair on the bridge, his binoculars plastered to his face as he scanned in every direction. Due to the overcast skies, he couldn't see as far out as he normally could, but so far there remained nothing else to see but water and waves.

At this moment, the bridge was rather empty, as most of the other officers were either in their own quarters or doing other tasks. His only company was Lt. Cory Renner, formerly of the Valiant. Having already taken to the new position well, he was currently writing a new order not far from where Jack was sitting.

"Cory, will you give me an update on our speed and course when you have a moment?" asked Jack.

"Yes, sir, we're headed east northeast presently at twenty knots," answered Cory.

"You know you can dispense with the sir when it's just you and me, Cory," said Jack with a laugh.

"I know, it just takes me a while to get used to it," said the embarrassed officer.

"How's the adjustment been for you? Are you getting used to the Destiny?"

Cory nodded. "It hasn't been too bad. She purrs a lot louder than the Valiant, that's for sure."

Jack started to laugh. "The Valiant is an older ship. The Destiny just got commissioned at the beginning of the year. Her polonium reactors are in much better shape."

"Believe me, I've noticed. I barely give the order before I feel the ship start to push forward. It's a welcome change from the Valiant," said Cory before looking at Jack with a sheepish grin. "Plus, there's a certain pride to it that I like."

Jack chuckled. "What do you mean by that?"

"I just feel like I'm making more of a difference on the Destiny. This ship being so new and powerful as it is, I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. I was only too happy to switch spots with Anna. I can't imagine why she didn't want to be here."

Jack lost his smile as he looked away. He had only just started to get used to not seeing Anna at her typical station, and judging by Cory's response, it wasn't as common knowledge as he might have suspected that she'd been occupying his bed. If that was the case, Jack would keep it secreted away as long as he could.

"Some people just have different callings, that's all," said Jack cryptically. "Besides, maybe she's the smart one. The Valiant is almost sure to see action in the coming weeks."

Cory shrugged. "I don't doubt that, Jack. But with all that's going on, I think we'll see our own action here soon enough. I don't think these Swabian fellows are up to any good. It sounds like we'll need to show them who's in charge soon enough."

"I think you're right, Cory. I think you're very right."

They didn't have to wait long for the first sight of trouble. It was shortly after midday when Jack received the call. He'd gone below deck to talk with Greg for a short while when his command radio went off, and Stephanie's worried voice came through. He ascended back above deck as quickly as he could and found himself the last to arrive on the bridge shortly after. Abigail's face was pressed near the starboard window, searching the horizon with her binoculars.

"What's the trouble? What's going on?" asked Jack.

Abigail let her binoculars drop so she could look at him. "Smoke on the horizon. Definitely a fire. Look over here," she said while pointing. Jack grabbed his binoculars and looked for the telltale signs of trouble.

Sure enough, there was a single plume of smoke just off to the horizon. It was just subtle enough to almost avoid detection from this far out, had not the lookouts been extra vigilant. His eyes followed the smoke down to the surface, finding something small and dark just beyond what he could make out from this distance.

"What do you want to do?" asked Abigail quietly.

"Change course and bring us closer," said Jack. "Get word to Vicky as well to swing a course around it. With all the news from this area of the world, I want to be sure of what it is before we leave. I'm hoping it's not a distressed trading ship like the Sunflower from yesterday."

"Changing course now, Jack," said Cory, following instruction.

"Get a message to the lookouts as well. I want them to keep an eye out for any trouble on the horizon," said Jack.

It was a daunting few minutes as the Destiny changed course and began to steam due east towards the sight of smoke. After enough time, Jack could begin to make out more details about the source, finding themselves heading to a small island in the middle of the sea. Once they were even closer, Jack could see that his suspicion was correct. The smoke was all that remained of a burnt-out ship, beached on the small strip of land to prevent sinking.

"That looks too small to be a trading ship," said Abigail as the Destiny drifted closer.

"Looks like a fishing boat," said Jack. "Who the hell would have wanted to attack a shipping boat?"

She turned to look at him. "What is going on in this area of the world? This looks like a war zone that popped up overnight. Too quickly for innocents to get out of harm's way."

Once they were close enough, it was easy to see that the island was surrounded by its own coral reef that would have prevented them from getting any closer. Not seeing any danger on the island itself, Jack had several launch boats readied as he and Abigail, along with a small contingent of marines, went ashore to check out the wreck.

There really wasn't much to the island in itself. Barely a couple of square miles in size, it was just a jagged and sandy outpost of the greater sea. Not big enough to support any large creatures of its own, the only other inhabitants of the island seemed to be seagulls, flapping around and looking for food. Once they beached the launch craft, Jack jumped out the vessel as the smell of smoke hit them almost immediately.

"What do you think happened here, Jack?"

"I don't know, but this happened fairly recently. Let's check for survivors."

They didn't need much time to check. The size of the ship and the poor condition of the parts that hadn't burnt away meant that it didn't take long for them to realize there were no survivors. The only thing they did find was a burnt corpse of a man who had been locked below deck. While much of his skin was charred, his expression showed that he was very much alive when he started to burn.

"Who would do something like this?" whispered Abigail.

"It all points to one people," said Jack. "And I'd bet the Destiny that the Swabians are behind this."

After searching what they could, there was a small portion of the boat that was still loaded with some personal effects, even if they were still quite charred. Jack found a trunk full of women's clothes as well as other parts where various clothing, utensils, and other accessories had been. He pulled them all off the vessel and made a small pile on the beach.

"I think this ship suffered much the same fate as the Sunflower," said Jack. "The man that we found was not traveling along. There is clothing for several different people here across a wide array of trunks. Whomever this man was with, they were either pulled off the ship or dumped overboard."

"Or sold as slaves," said Abigail. "That's what we heard about the other ship. Especially if they were women."

Jack nodded. "There's nothing else we can do for this ship now. But this is now the second vessel we've come across which means we're seeing a trend. We need to stay vigilant. Someone is preying on these merchant ships."

"Let's get back to the ship," said Abigail. "I want to find whoever was responsible for this and blast them out of the water."

"You and me both," said Jack. "This kind of crime shouldn't go unpunished. There's no reason whatsoever to attack simple merchants and fishing boats. I have a feeling whoever is doing this is trying to strike fear across the entire region. When the entire ocean is in chaos, they'll strike. If it's the Swabians, we can't allow this to continue."

*****

The rest of the day wasn't nearly as eventful as the late morning. Shortly after ten o'clock, Jack made his way below deck in order to turn in for the night. There was no other sign of life on the transit north, and despite the extra vigilance of the lookouts, Jack felt the need to get some rest. There was one stop that he needed to make before that could happen though, and for that reason, he stopped to knock on Abigail's door.

"Who is it?" came the reply from behind the door.

"It's Jack."

"Come in."

Jack poked his head into her quarters and looked around. At first glance, she wasn't in sight. Remembering her fondness for evening baths, he closed the door behind him and stepped into her bathroom.

Jack had to grab hold of the steel frame to avoid falling over. In front of him, Abigail stood as nude as could be while she toweled off from her evening bath. Small beads of water dripped down her tits as she carefully toweled off her long, delicate legs. It was a sight he could have watched all night. The way she worked the towel around every portion of her skin was incredibly arousing and he soon found himself pressing against his trousers.

"Are you just going to stare at me?" asked a coy-looking Abigail as she moved the towel between her thighs.

"I'd like to do a whole lot more than just stare."

"Who's stopping you then?"

Jack grinned and moved closer until only mere inches separated him from her naked body. Abigail smiled once he was close enough and reached out to wrap her arms around him. Pressing a needy kiss to his lips, she then ground the rest of her body against his.

"What do we have here?" she whispered as her hand grabbed his manhood. Jack fought the urge to groan as she stroked him under his trousers.

"What you have is a very horny commander that just saw the ultimate peepshow."

"Why limit it to a peepshow?" said Abigail with a giggle. "When there's so much more that we can do?"

"I was hoping you'd suggest that," said Jack as his hands slid down her back. Grabbing each cheek in his hands, he placed an echoing slap against her ass, enough to make her shudder.

"Mmm, now you're speaking my language," she purred.

"I'd hoped that you would like that."

Abigail placed a sucking kiss to his lips. When it ended, she locked eyes on him. "There's only one thing you're forgetting, Commander."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"You're fully clothed and I'm not," she whispered with a sultry voice. "Tell me what's wrong with this picture."

"We can change that in a hurry," said Jack as his fingers hurried to undo the buttons on his jacket.

Abigail shook her head. "Not here. Let's go to your room. Your bed. I enjoy waking up in your bed more than anything else."

Jack started to chuckle. "It makes that much of a difference to you?"

"Oh, absolutely. I always wake up in here and just about always alone," said Abigail. "When I wake up in your room, it reminds me where I spent the night. It's a subtle reminder that I'm yours."

Jack smiled. "I like that."

"I thought you might. Give me five minutes and I'll meet you over there, okay?"

"Don't keep me waiting too long."

Abigail grinned and stroked him several times. "Just make sure you're still ready for me when I get there."

Jack kissed her one last time, savoring the sight of her nudity before he finally pushed away and left her quarters. Once outside her door, he took a moment to adjust himself lest he point the way back to his quarters and prayed that he wouldn't see anyone else before he got there. Luckily for him, it was a quiet evening, and he made it all the way back to his room without seeing another soul.

Once he was back inside, Jack carefully stripped off the rest of his clothes and got into bed. Keeping only his faint bedside light on, he awaited Abigail's entry. In the quiet moments that followed, he grabbed his cock and squeezed gently. It was still throbbing hard, desperate to penetrate the dark-haired lieutenant commander.

She didn't keep him waiting long. Sly as a fox, Abigail slipped into his room quietly, wearing only a silken robe that he was sure was definitely not issued by the navy.

"I'm pretty sure that's not standard issue," said Jack with a grin while she spun the cinch.

"How else am I supposed to entice you?" she quipped. "I can't do that with just my uniform."

"Oh, trust me, you definitely can," said Jack while he eyed her body. "You could make a brown paper bag look sexy all on your own."

Abigail gave him a sultry look while she undid the cinch. She grabbed each side of the robe and parted it so that only the valley between her tits and her belly button appeared. "Is that right, Commander? You certainly have a way with words."

"What do I need to do to see more?"

"Just keep talking nice to me."

"You mean keeping telling you how sexy you look and how badly I want you?" said Jack while playing along. "Because I could tell you that all night and still have enough steam to go through the morning."

Abigail moaned and pulled her robe open wider. The only thing preventing it from falling open completely were her nipples, catching the ends of the fabric and holding it in place. "Speaking of having enough steam to go through until the morning, do you think you can make this an unforgettable night for us both?"

"I think you do that enough just being here," said Jack. "Your gorgeous body, perfect tits, and a smile that keeps me hard from dusk until dawn. There isn't anything I wouldn't do right now to slide so deep inside you, Abigail."

She moaned again and this time a finger traced a path down her body, carefully sinking into her sex. Jack immediately heard the sounds of wetness as she primed her body for what was to come. "Can you hear how wet I am for you?"

Jack grinned. "Why don't you come closer so I can hear it better?"

She sashayed her hips on the walk over to his bed, all the while her robe slowly slipped back and started to fall off her shoulders. Her nipples were already hard, sticking out fully from her body and ready to be sucked on. The closer she got to him, the louder he heard the gushing sound coming from her pussy.

Once she got to the bed, they swapped hands. Jack stuck his hand between her legs, slowly raising up her thigh until his fingers teased her slick folds. Slipping inside her wet, waiting hole, Jack rubbed and probed until her breathing became heavier. She wasted no time either, her hand reaching out to grasp his cock, her digits still slick with the evidence of her arousal. She coated the tip of his erection with her essence, and Jack watched as it turned shiny with her own fluids.

Finally, she could stand it no longer. "Jack, I need you right now," she moaned with need.

Jack patted his thigh with his free hand. "Come here. I want to watch you while we fuck."

She grinned and tossed her dark hair behind her shoulder. With slow and deliberate movements, she crawled into bed and straddled his lap. Once again, his hands slipped behind them and grabbed her ass as his cock pushed between her thighs. Jack could only look up at her, her sensual smile and the look of desire in her eyes driving him wild with need.

He couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed his cock and lined it up with her body, and then the sounds of both of their groans echoed throughout the room as he pushed all the way inside. She was so completely drenched that Jack slipped in easily, her body squeezing him with steady pressure.

"Now, fuck me, Jack. Please give me all you got. I need it so bad," she moaned as she began to grind her body against his. Jack gripped her ass and started to thrust, arching his hips so that his cock slid along her wet walls to fully penetrate her. In his next move, he carefully withdrew, leaving only the tip inside her before crashing upwards again, causing her to moan loudly.

Their rhythm continued in this teasing manner for several minutes as Jack alternated between deep yet reserved thrusts while she struggled with the force of taking him all. At one point, she leaned down and kissed him passionately while their hips moved in unison, only locking eyes with him after the kiss broke.

"Don't go softly on me. I need it now. As hard as you can give it to me, Jack," she said with glazed over eyes but a firm voice.

Jack smiled and used his hands to press her body forward. Her head landed against his own, pressed into the pillow as her entire body leaned up higher. It was just the position he was looking for. Arching his hips higher, he was now able to give powerful, rapid thrusts while holding her in place, locked between his own body and his pistoning hips.

"Oh, fuck, yes, Jack! Oh, fuck me!" Abigail screamed as he held her in place. His hips started to move like lightning, a blur of motion as he tried to bring her to orgasm as quickly as possible. Abigail's moans went louder still, and for a moment, he was concerned they might wake up the entire ship. Her chest began to turn red steadily and her mouth hung wide open as she was hammered in this position and soon enough, she began to squirm against him.

"Oh, cum in me, please! Cum in me, Jack! Fill your slut up with all your cum!"

Her own words sent her over the edge. She shuddered in the next instant, her body strength leaving as she forced herself all the way down on his cock. It was all he could do to hold her place as she largely went limp, still shivering with the force of pleasure. He was nearly there himself. The rapid speed that he penetrated her tight hole was having its own effect. Her slick, wet walls were applying just enough pressure that he soon felt that familiar feeling. It was coming too quickly and there was no way to stop it.

Jack pushed his hips up with a carefully timed thrust as the first spurt of cum shot into her body. Abigail moaned in pleasure and pressed her hips tightly against his in an effort to capture every drop. He felt his eyes start to roll to the back of his head at the intensity of the orgasm, his primal brain taking over as he obsessed over getting every drop inside the brunette officer.

They collapsed together a moment later, her sweat-soaked body landing against his. Abigail blew a strand of hair out of her face in the next moment as the rest of her face rested on his chest.

"Oh, Jack, I absolutely adored that position," she panted after several moments. "I felt that so deep, and it was like I was helpless as you had your way with me."

Jack smiled and then kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you liked it. It turns the traditional woman-on-top position back into more of a submissive role."

"And here I didn't think you'd like me in more of a submissive role."

"I like you backwards and forwards, inside and out," he said with a laugh. "Most importantly, I like you in any position as long as I'm inside you."

Abigail purred happily. "Good answer."

"Glad I didn't disappoint," said Jack as he wrapped his arms around her. He listened to her steady breathing for a few minutes, nothing but the sound of the distant boilers echoing along the bulkheads to keep them company. Finally, after enough time, Abigail opened up with a surprising statement.

"I don't get it, Jack. I don't know how she walked away so willingly."

"Hmm? Who walked away?"

Abigail turned to look at him. "Anna. How did she walk away so easily from you?"

Jack shrugged gently. "It just wasn't a good fit."

"I don't get that. I struggle so much with not staring at you all day long," she said while looking into his eyes. "I love being around you, and our sex is just on another level. Why would she give that up?"

"I guess she didn't want to be involved with me as long as you were there. How could she do that with her own sister?"

"Do you think it bothered her more that it was me or the fact that she had to share you?"

Jack shrugged again. "I don't know. Both of those items are a lot to ask so either answer could have done it. When combined together, I can understand why she walked away."

"What if I couldn't walk away, Jack? What if I didn't want to walk away from you?"

He smiled and kissed her gently. "You'd hear no complaints from me."

"I know it's crazy," she said while her eyes searched his face. "But even the thought of sharing you doesn't bother me. As long as I had a piece of you, part of your soul, it wouldn't affect me. Even when the whole thing with Anna went down, I know if you wanted both of us, I would've been okay with that."

Jack nodded as he digested her words. It was a shocking admission to be sure, and one he was surprised to hear from someone like Abigail. Yet a small part of him was ecstatic to hear it. Even as this relationship with Abigail deepened, a small part of his brain reminded him that somewhere out there, Kat was still waiting for him. And his feelings for her were just as strong as they were for Abigail. Could this be a way for him to have both of them?

"Still thinking that over or are you just picturing us inviting another woman into bed?" teased Abigail while she poked him in the side.

Jack started to laugh. "Just thinking it over. Although, I wouldn't mind that second option either."

"I didn't think you would. Typical man." She giggled as she traced a line across his chest. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Maybe I could suck your balls while you fuck another woman while she eats my pussy. She can lay on top of me and you can fuck her deep from behind and shoot your cum all over her ass and let it drip down into my waiting mouth. What do you say to that?"

"I say if you keep talking like that, we're going to have to go another round."

She giggled. "Maybe in the morning. I'm sleepy now and just want to get some rest." Abigail raised up on her elbows to kiss him one last time and then winked. "But if you slip it in me in the middle of the night, I won't say no."

*****

The next morning, Jack awoke still tangled up with Abigail. They were spooning together, and her pert little ass was pressed up against him in such a way that he was already hard. Jack wasn't sure if it was just his body's natural morning response to waking up or if it had been caused by the subtle grinding that she was doing against his body. Either way, Abigail's words from the previous night echoed in his mind and he enjoyed the surprising gasp from her as he plunged inside her pussy from behind.

After they both came, she slipped out of bed to go back to her quarters before the rest of the ship woke up, and Jack prepared himself for the day ahead. A quick glance out the port window showed nothing but open seas, and he hoped for a less eventful day than the day before. Somewhere out there was Kat and Vera, and he prayed that both of them were doing all right and were still safe.

Jack entered the bridge just before the morning report, listening to his officers give updates on their respective stations from over the night. Every once in a while during the briefing, Abigail would catch his eye and smile, a shared memory of their night spent in pleasure. Jack was enjoying this new side of her and her openness to a deeper type of relationship was more apparent than ever before. With nothing new on the morning report and Abigail's persistent yet subtle flirting, the morning got off to a good start, and it was just after he broke for lunch that the first sound of trouble reached him.

Jack was back in his quarters when his command radio went off. Immediately, he heard Stephanie's voice, noting the panic that was in her tone. "Jack, can you come to the bridge right now, please? We have a problem."

"What is it, Steph?"

She took a few moments to respond. "More smoke on the horizon, Jack."

"Be there shortly," said Jack as he finished his current set of orders and then made a dash to the main deck. In what was already beginning to feel like a repeat of yesterday, he climbed into the bridge and grabbed his binoculars right away. This time, both Stephanie and Abigail were watching just off to their port side where another plume of smoke, much heavier than yesterday's, was billowing just off the horizon.

"Have you identified what it is yet?" asked Jack as he scoped out the damage himself.

"It looks like the Swordfish, Jack," said Abigail.

Jack gulped and pressed the binoculars to his eyes. Sure enough, the large ship on the horizon looked exactly as he remembered when it left the Sorellan port just two days before theirs. His heart seized up almost instantly at the thought of Kat and Vera. He had to reach that ship right away.

"Increase speed," said Jack to Cory. "Bring us in as close as you can." He then turned to Stephanie. "Tell Vicky to circle the Tiger around us to keep a watch out for any further trouble. Get a message down to Greg and have him prepare a boarding party as well. If there's still anyone alive on the ship, we'll need to rescue them before it sinks."

Stephanie nodded and went about the tasks before Abigail grabbed his arm. "Is that a good idea, Jack?" she whispered. "We can see the ship burning from here. It's not going to stay afloat much longer."

"We have to try," said Jack. "If Kat and Vera are still on that ship, we have to try to rescue them. And anyone else that's still alive."

"I don't know if anyone could survive that," said Abigail while looking back at the ship. She wasn't too far off the mark. With how badly the blaze was burning, the entire bow of the ship was aflame. Time was of the essence.

In the next few minutes, Jack couldn't stop wiping the sweat from his brow as they neared the burning trade ship. At one point, Greg appeared on the bridge as well, his rifle strapped around his shoulder and looking ready for action.

"It's the Swordfish, isn't it?" asked Greg without looking any further. Jack could only nod as the marine set about issuing the last orders to the boarding party. In total, a full platoon was made available to serve as the rescue team. They wouldn't be able to get too close to the ship out of precaution for any explosives, so the launch boats were readied as well as some grappling hooks to start the initial ascent.

As the Destiny neared the burning ship, Jack looked for any sign of life on the deck or in the waters below, his morale plunging when he found no one within sight. The burning ship stood out like a bright, depressing beacon and the closer they got, the more he feared the fate of his friends. Finally, they were close enough to almost feel the heat of the flames from the main deck of the ship, and that's when Jack made the move to leave the bridge.

"Keep the guns ready just in case. Whoever did this can't be far away. If they come back, give me a heads-up, but don't be afraid to go after them if I can't make it back in time," said Jack. "If there's too many of them, leave us behind."

"Jack, are you sure—"

"Leave us behind. Don't sacrifice the Destiny if you don't have to," said Jack firmly. "The mission is more important than any one life."

Abigail nodded her acceptance and didn't fight it any further. Not wasting any more time, he quickly descended down to the main deck and jumped over to one of the launch boats. His was filled with about five other marines plus Greg, as well as grappling equipment to get onto the burning ship. Time was against them, so once the boat touched the water, they lowered the engine and quickly sped off to the other ship.

The seas were choppy that morning and when combined with the high speed of the launch, just about every member of the boat got wet on the short jaunt over to the Swordfish. It was only once they pulled up to the hull that the smell of burning wood filled their noses. The smoke was thick and made his eyes sting with tears as they tossed hooks over the side, waiting until they were secure before the first man grabbed hold to scurry up the side.

"Before you go, put this over your mouth," said Greg while tossing each of them strips of cloth. He dunked his in the ocean and then brought it to his mouth. "Should help us breathe easier especially with all the smoke."

"Good call, Greg," said Jack while taking his cloth. "Stay out of the smoke as much as possible. Let's try to do this without any casualties of our own, understood?"

The other men nodded as the first of them began the climb onto the Swordfish. Jack went second, pulling his way up to the main deck. It was harder to do than he remembered and the muscles in his arms ached once he was at the top. Surely still a sign of his wounds from the last battle, he hoped he wouldn't have to climb like that many more times.

Once he was on the main deck, Jack had to make the decision where to go. They had landed near the stern, which seemed to be the safest bet since it was the farthest away from the smoking bow. Yet, the Swordfish was almost as big as the Destiny, and they would need a plan to check all the areas still accessible to them. As the last man climbed aboard the ship, Jack turned to address them all.

"All right, we're going to split up into teams. Two men to a group," said Jack before pointing to the closest marine. "You come with me. Spread out and remember to keep out of the smoke!"

"Jack, the ship is starting to list!" Greg pointed at the deck, where the port side was now starting to sink a bit lower than the starboard. Eventually this ship would capsize.

"Let's get moving! Don't go too far into the ship," said Jack. "If you notice the list getting more pronounced quickly, get back to the main deck. Don't take any needless risks with your lives."

With that being said, they all split off. Jack and his teammate, another marine named Pollard made their way to the closest hatch and descended below deck. All around them, the ship showed signs of having been boarded and ransacked. Personal belongings were strewn everywhere as well as some of the various trade goods that they'd picked up in Sorella. The very first room they came to, a personal quarters for one of the traders, looked like it had been nearly destroyed.

"Pollard, let's go this way. We need to find if anyone is still alive in here," said Jack, waving him down another passageway.

They descended deeper into the bowels of the ship. The further they went, the more they escaped the heat of the fires, but at a certain point, they ran into water filling up the lower decks. Whoever they had run into wanted to make it impossible for them to get away in one piece between the fire and the sinking.

It was on the second to last deck that Jack found the first body. One of the traders judging by the garb, he found himself looking away almost as soon as he saw the dead man. Even having seen enough death and misery from his time in the service, the gruesome remains of the trader were almost enough to give an ordinary man nightmares. Jack counted more than ten different stab wounds before he gave up and looked away, obvious that the man had been abused even in death. Jack left him in the room, determined to find someone alive.

"Kat! Vera!" he yelled, hoping for any sign that the two women might still be alive. The further he got inside the ship, the more he despaired. Everyone left on board was dead. He found two more bodies on the next deck up before running into another team of marines.

"Anyone still alive down there?" he asked.

The marine in front shook his head. "Negative, sir. Two dead bodies, both male, down that passageway. All the goods we've seen so far have been damaged beyond repair."

"Keep your eyes out for two women, both blonde," said Jack. "If you find them, bring them to me immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

Jack pushed deeper into the ship. He could begin to tell he was too close to the bow once he started to feel the heat, knowing some portion of the flames must be directly in front and above him. That was when he heard the first cry for help.

"Help me, please!"

Jack stopped and listened for the source of the sound. All the noise from the distressed ship had a way of echoing sounds but his intuition told him it was coming down one particular passageway he just passed. Pulling back, Jack felt his way along the walls, having to use it to steady his grip as the ship listed further to port. Finally, he came to a locked wooden door, the source of the recent cries for help.

"Are you in there? Help is here!" Jack called out while pounding on the door.

"Help me! The door is locked! You'll have to find a way to break it down!"

Jack searched the ground nearby for something to use on the door, anything would give him the extra strength needed to bust it down. But time was running out.

"Sir, the water!" said Pollard as he pointed down the passageway.

Jack turned to watch a steady seepage of water begin to work its way up the passageway. Based on how quickly it was working its way up the ship, they didn't have much time.

"Pollard, put all your strength against that door while I find something," said Jack as he rushed toward the water. There were open rooms on either side of him but after taking quick peeks inside both, nothing suitable seemed to be available. Jack tried one last door but he already found his boots splashing the water as it followed quickly on his heels. Inside, he found what looked to be another trader's quarters except the first thing he saw on the floor was what looked to be a metal safe. He bent down to pick it up, finding the weight not easy to move.

Jack called out down the passageway. "Pollard, get over here and give me a hand with this!"

Together the two men were able to pick up the safe although getting it out of the room proved tougher with the water that was now ankle deep. They trudged their way back up the passageway until they reached the door.

"Okay, swing it back and let the force crack against the door," said Jack. "Ready, one, two, three!"

They both pulled it back and let the force of the forward momentum come crashing against the door. The door buckled against the frame but ultimately didn't come down.

"Again!"

The second hit was accompanied by the sound of wood splintering and Jack was hopeful it would come down on the next blow. Or at least he prayed it would, as the water was now back at his feet.

"One more time!"

With a final, deafening roar, the door blasted open, allowing Jack to get inside. He recognized the face almost instantly, finding the captain of the ship, Aristides, on the ground clutching his stomach. Jack could already see the blood staining the floor underneath the man and knew he wouldn't be much longer for this world.

"Commander Easterbrook," said the Sorellan trader weakly.

"Come on, Aristides. We have to get you above deck," said Jack as he and Pollard rushed to the man. Jack grabbed the man by the shoulders while Pollard grabbed his feet, and together they lifted the man and started to pull him out of the room. The water was rushing faster now, and the oozing stream was now turning into a rushing barrage.

"Aristides, we have to move quickly, so this might hurt a little. Stay with us though," said Jack as he slung the man over his shoulders. Aristides gave out a weak yell as the other two men were able to get out of that passageway and ascend to a higher deck. They stopped along the way to pick up another body, although Jack feared that man was long since dead, and together they brought Aristides and other man to the main deck on their shoulders. Once clear of the cramped and smoky passageways, Jack inhaled the fresh ocean air and let Aristides fall carefully to the deck.

"Hang on a little longer, Aristides," said Jack as soon as the man was on his back. "We'll get you back to our ship here shortly."

Aristides waved his hand back and forth with what little strength he had left. "Don't bother with me. I'm a goner and I know it, Jack."

Jack turned to look at Pollard. "Attach yourself to another team and see if there's any other survivors. We need to get off this ship soon."

"Yes, sir," said Pollard before rushing off with another two-man group.

Jack turned back to the dying man at his feet. Kneeling down to look at him, Jack grabbed his canteen and let the captain drink from it. Aristides drank eagerly, only spitting most of it out once it became difficult for him to swallow.

"Thank you, Jack," he said with a cough. "You have no idea how thirsty I was."

"Can I do anything else for you in the meantime?"

Aristides shook his head weakly. "No. I'm just glad that I'll get to die in the open air instead of drowning in the decks below. Thank you for that, Jack."

"Tell me what happened to your ship, Aristides. Who attacked you? What happened?"

Aristides looked at him with a fearful expression. "It was the Swabians, Jack. The Swabians did this. They stopped us with one of their cruisers early on this morning." Aristides then gave a long hacking cough. "We didn't have a chance."

"Why did they stop you?"

"Routine patrol," said the captain before shaking his head. "There was nothing routine about what they did. Warships usually don't stop trading vessels in peacetime. We thought we might have to pay a toll or a tax to cross their stretch of ocean."

"Did they try to get payment?"

"They sure did. They went about it in a rough and brutish way," said Aristides. "They personally shook down every merchant in a flat head tax for the entire trading corps on the ship. Nearly ransacked most of the place too. Just about all of them were relieved of all their spare coins but no one was stupid enough to challenge a Swabian warship. Several of the braver merchants thought they could stand up to them. They were tortured and killed in the most brutal ways."

"So they basically robbed you of your money and killed anyone who dared question them," asked Jack. "What happened next? What made them attack you?" He scarcely needed to hear the man's answer, already finding the story similar to the one told by Captain Wally from Sunflower.

"That's not all, Jack. They took all the women on board. Brought them over to their ship in chains."

"For what reason," asked Jack, his voice raising another octave. "Why did they take them?"

"It was probably the Andalucian boat that was near them. I know they've been working together. I'd bet they are to be sold as slaves."

Jack's heart sank at the thought of Vera and Kat both in chains. Especially Vera, knowing her earlier experience at the hands of the slavers. It wasn't a life he wished on anyone.

"Did anyone challenge this? You just let them take the female passengers? Families were broken apart, wives and daughters!"

"There was nothing we could do," said Aristides weakly. "It was a hostile takeover of the entire ship. We were completely at their mercy. Those of us that still lived thought we were the lucky ones to at least get away with our lives."

"What happened next? After they sailed off? How did the ship get in such a bad shape?"

"We're not sure," said Aristides. "They left the ship and let us go on our way. We were only a short distance away, no more than a mile, when they opened fire on us. It was a bloodbath. We took a direct hit on the bow of the ship. Once we were hit again, they came back and this time acted like we were enemy troops. They locked me below deck and killed anyone else still alive. They set a fuse to start the fire which only lit once they were already gone. I wasn't sure if I would be burned to death or drown. Even now as the ship slowly capsizes, I know there's no one left alive on the ship."

Jack's eyes drifted to the main deck, noticing the sizable tilt now as the starboard side rose into the air, causing him to hang onto the railing to maintain his position. The ship wouldn't last much longer now.

"What about the two passengers that got on in Sorella?" asked Jack. "Two blonde women, young, no more than twenty-something years old. What happened to them?"

Aristides shrugged. "I don't know. I thought I remembered seeing a blonde when they took the women but I can't remember. I was the subject of abuse by that point," he said while pointing to his gut wound.

"Just the one blonde? Not the other?"

"I just remember seeing one," he said weakly.

One and not the other. There could still be hope that one of them was alive and not captured. Jack just prayed that someone would find them on the ship. But as the marines brought more and more bodies to the top deck, just about all of them were male. Jack couldn't find a single female body in the entire bunch.

At one point, he even looked over the side of the ships, searching the water below for anyone who might have jumped off. With the water as choppy as it was, searching for anyone below would prove to be a difficult affair if not impossible. Jack was starting to lose hope. And the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

"Jack, we need to get off this ship!" called out Greg, as many of the other teams had made their way back to the main deck. The ship's starboard side was almost out of the water now and what fires were still burning were soon being put out by the sinking of the ship.

"Get the captain into a launch boat," yelled Jack. "And then get yourselves off the ship!" He then turned to look at Aristides. "Come on, man, we're getting you off of here."

Aristides waved his hand again. "Leave me, Jack. My time is already up. Save the spot for someone else."

Jack grabbed the man by his collar and brought his face closer. "I'm not leaving you alive on this ship."

With that, he motioned for another pair of marines to help load him into a boat. The only survivors were Aristides and one other man, alive but unconscious and by the looks of him, he wouldn't last much longer either. With the two men loaded, the first team of marines entered their boats and made the short journey back to the Destiny.

Jack signaled the second team to get moving back to the ship and soon they were back in their boats and heading back to the heavy cruiser. Now it was only Jack, Greg, and the original team of marines left on deck. After a quick count of their numbers, Jack noticed there were just too few marines standing next to them.

"Where are the other pair?" Jack asked, looking around them. "There should be two others, but there's only four of you standing here."

Greg seemed to sense instinctively who was missing. "Damnit, where's Garza and Bluffman?"

The remaining men on deck sprinted toward the nearest hatches, checking and calling out for the missing men. The situation was getting desperate and Jack could begin to see water seeping onto the second level deck, meaning just about all of the ship was under water.

"We can't last much longer on here," called out Greg. "We have to get going."

"We can't leave them," yelled Jack.

"We're going to get sucked down with the ship if we don't get off right now!"

Jack wanted to argue but he knew the other man to be correct. Just when he was about to lose hope, he heard someone shout out from the second deck. He whipped his head around and saw the two missing marines dragging a woman with blonde hair on their shoulders. The blonde woman was covered in blood. Jack only needed one look to know exactly who it was.

Vera.

But where was Kat?

As water started to rush up from the hatch itself, the two men grabbed the unconscious woman and Jack helped to usher them to the final launch boat. They barely needed the grappling hooks now as the ship was so low to the water that it was just a short hop for them into the boat.

"Go, go, go!" yelled Jack as soon as they were in. "We don't want to get sucked into the wake of the sinking ship!"

Greg lowered the motor on the boat and they sped away from the dying vessel and headed back to the Destiny. Once clear of the ship, Jack reached down to brush Vera's hair away from her face. Her eyes were closed, and she looked unconscious but she was still breathing. Perhaps she could shed some more light on what happened on the vessel, especially what happened to Kat. As the Swordfish dipped under the waves, Jack just prayed that Kat had been able to get off the ship, even if that meant she was with the Swabians. It was better than being dead.

Once they were safely back on the cruiser, Jack assisted the men with getting Vera, Aristides, and the other man down to the infirmary so Dr. Kendall could attend to them. Vera didn't look too bad, especially when compared with the others. He couldn't see any wounds on her, and he hoped the blood that was on her wasn't her own.

"Kendall, we need you," shouted Jack as soon as they burst into the infirmary. Aristides was set down and given a round of painkillers to mollify him for as long as possible, as was the other nameless man. Based upon Kendall's observations, neither of them would last the night, however Jack remained hopeful once he examined Vera.

"I can't find any wounds on her," he said after searching her from head to toe. "My guess is that she tried to take care of someone else and this is their blood. Her breathing is still really labored but her heart is strong. We may just need to wait for her to wake up."

"How long do you think that will be?"

Kendall shrugged. "It could be ten minutes from now or ten hours. Hell, maybe even ten days. I'm not sure, but we'll watch her and make sure she's all right."

"Let me know right away as soon as she's awake," said Jack. "Radio me so I can come down."

With one last look at Vera, Jack turned his back and went back to the bridge. All they could do now was wait. With the Swordfish finally below the waves, it was just the Destiny and the Tiger once again. But whichever Swabian vessel that was out there attacking ships had to be nearby. He just had no idea which direction they were in. It wasn't like he could easily leave now, not with all this violence and especially with Kat missing. He had to find this warship, but what direction should he search?

"Should we continue on our northeasterly course, Jack?" asked Cory once he was back on the bridge. "Or do we change the plan?"

"For now, Cory," said Jack. "We have no other leads. They could be almost anywhere. I highly doubt they are behind us, but they could have gone further north or west over to Swabia. Let's continue with the current course." Maybe when Vera awakes, I can find out some information from her on their direction.

She kept him waiting until nearly nightfall. At that point, she was the only one left alive from the entire vessel. The nameless man succumbed shortly after reaching the infirmary, and Aristides made it a few more hours until he died as well. Jack was in his quarters working on the evening report when Dr. Kendall radioed him to let him know Vera was finally awake.

He practically sprinted to the infirmary. Once inside, she didn't look any worse for wear, and her eyes were finally open.

"Vera, you're awake," said Jack with a smile on his face as he crouched near her bedside.

She blinked at him several times before recognition set in. "Jack? Is that really you?"

"It's me, Vera. You're safe now," he said quietly. As happy as he was to see her, he had to restrain himself. He wanted desperately to question her on what happened today but with her frail state, he'd have to be gentle. She would require all of his patience.

"How did I get here?" she asked while her eyes searched the room. "The last thing I remember was being in the . . . room, oh." Vera reached up and touched her forehead.

"I was hoping you'd be able to tell me that," said Jack with a smile. "Mostly how you're still alive. Just about everyone else we found on that ship is dead."

Vera started to pale. "Dead? All of them?"

Jack nodded quietly. He watched as she processed his words before she turned to look at him with fright while grabbing his arm. "Where's Kat? Is she okay? Is she safe? They took her!"

The smile dropped from Jack's face. "Who took her? I was really hoping you would know what happened to her. We couldn't find her, and we searched as much of the ship as we could."

Vera covered her eyes. "Those vicious brutes, Jack. Those horrible people, they took her!"

"Vera," said Jack gently, resting his hand on hers. "You have to start from the beginning. Tell me all of what happened. We need to figure out where they took Kat."

Her eyes started to water. One hand went up to wipe away the tears that started to collect on her cheek while she stared away from Jack. Finally she shook her head slightly before speaking. "We all heard a message from the captain this morning. Something about a Swabian warship trying to catch up to us. I had been napping still at the time so by the time I heard the message, they were already coming aboard. Kat and I were separated at the time, as she had gone up above deck to watch the waves. She did so every morning, enjoying the sight of the ocean from the deck. She was one of the first women they grabbed. I only noticed because I had just emerged from below deck but they didn't see me yet."

"What did you do then?"

Vera turned to look at him. "I-I panicked. I knew it was a Swabian vessel and I know what they do with Galicians when they find them. That's a regional hatred that goes back centuries. When I knew I couldn't save Kat, I just ran. I ran all the way back to our room. I thought I could lock myself inside but then they started searching the whole ship."

"Your hiding place must have been a good one," said Jack.

She nodded. "There's a small crawl space in the closest of our room. I was able to go inside it and put some clothes in the way. They searched the room and didn't find me. Once the coast was clear, I went out once I heard someone moaning out in the hallway," said Vera before looking toward the floor. "He was stabbed so many times, Jack. I couldn't stop the bleeding!"

Jack pointed to her clothes, which had been discarded once she entered the infirmary. "That explains how you got covered in blood."

She swallowed visibly. "I couldn't do anything else for him, and he died right there in my arms. I couldn't even take a moment to say a prayer for his passing as I heard more Swabians coming back, so I hid back in the room. That's when I heard it."

"Heard what, Vera?"

She steeled her gaze. "It wasn't just Swabians, Jack. Someone with them was speaking in the Andalucian tongue. I don't understand it, but I know the sound of it from my time in the slave pens. They must be working together on this one."

"If they have Kat, is she likely to go to the slave pens?" asked Jack. "Would they give her over to them?"

"Andalucians pay a large price for attractive, young women. All of them to be used as sex slaves," said Vera. "I have no doubt that they'll take her back to Andalucia to be sold."

The bottom fell out of Jack's stomach. After already hearing the ordeal that Vera had gone through at the hands of the slavers, knowing that this was the intended fate of Kat had his heart beating out of control. He couldn't let that happen.

"Do you know where they went, Vera? It's imperative we stop them. We can't let that fate happen to Kat."

Vera's face changed to dismay. "I d-don't know, Jack. When they came back, I thought to hide back in my old hiding spot. I must have hit my head or something because that's the last thing I remember until I heard your men searching in the room."

Jack's shoulders fell. She was quite possibly the only other person alive who might know where the Swabians had gone, and she'd been unconscious right as they were leaving. "We have no idea where they're going then," he said in a quiet tone. "They could be anywhere out there."

Vera avoided his eyes lest she see his disappointment. She remained silent for several moments until she snapped her fingers. "There was an Andalucian slave trawler with them! I remember seeing it with the Swabian warship and thinking it was odd that they were together."

"Right," said Jack while looking a bit confused. "But we knew that already. That would explain why you heard their language once they were aboard."

"But this is important, Jack! Their slave trawlers are not big ships. I mean, they're more like boats. They don't have much range, so they never go out further than Andalucian territory waters."

"Do you know how far of a range they have?" asked Jack.

"No, but if they are all the way out here, it means they won't be able to stay out in open seas that long. For one, they won't have enough supplies to feed their men for a long voyage, so they'll have to return soon. For two, if they just picked up potential slaves, they'll want to get them back to markets quickly to be sold. Especially if there's limited food aboard. Weak, starving slaves don't fetch as much coin as healthy ones."

"We're still heading north right now," said Jack. "We should be heading east. If we go full speed, we should be able to gain on them. These trawlers, I take it they're not that fast?"

Vera shook her head. "Not at all. One of the slower vessels I've ever seen. But the Andalucians aren't really known for their technology. They are a primitive, desert people. Their living comes from slaves, not technology."

"Okay, we need to get this ship heading east then," said Jack. "I need to get to the bridge so I can give the orders right away."

Vera reached out and grabbed his arm. "Jack, I'm so sorry. If I had been with Kat, perhaps we both could have gotten away. If I hadn't panicked—"

"Not right now, Vera," said Jack while holding up his free hand. "Right now, we need to get to Kat. I need to get this ship heading in the right direction. We can talk about this another time, but we need to do everything in our power to get Kat."

Vera simply nodded while remaining silent. When Jack could tell that she would blame herself for Kat's disappearance regardless of the facts, he offered her a brave smile. "Keep the faith, Vera. We'll find her."